That is the spirit at Comic-Con international, the comic book convention in Southern California where people show up dressed as their favorite make believe character.But while thousands play dress up, there are some very graphic and painful problems, lurking just steps away from the convention.

While bombs explode and thousands of America troops continue to fight in the country’s longest war, another battle is happening here at home.It is a fight against the harsh realities of life.

These days, it is rare to see large crowds protesting the wars, yet more than 100 thousand people attended Comic-Con in San Diego, CA, the world’s largest comic book convention.Comic-Con is a costume party on steroids, where the world’s worries go out the window.

“The super power I wish I had was teleportation,” said a costumed woman who traveled from Colorado to be part of the popular culture festival.

Who wouldn’t want to beam themselves up from the harsh realities of today’s America?

“This life is a joke in itself,” said a young man dressed up as The Joker. “Let’s get a sweet release going.”

However, life is no joke for a large segment of the US population like these people living on the sidewalks just a few blocks from the convention.

Sunny San Diego is a city known for its beaches and summer attractions. It is also a city dealing with double-digit unemployment and a growing homeless population.But instead of focusing on these tough realities, thousands of people from all over the world have descended on the city this weekend in order to escape reality.

“I try to put an hour a day aside to read a comic book to escape into a different world,” said a northern California man dressed as a character from the movie, V For Vendetta. “If I didn’t have that I’d probably go crazy,” he added.

“You’re economy is interesting,” said an Australian man dressed up as Batman. “The Batland I come from certainly has a better economy,” he added.

Despite the distraction that goes with Comic-Con, some costumed crusaders do have concerns over where our country is headed.

“Some of us think the apocalypse is coming soon,” said a man dressed up like a character from the movie Mad Max.

Most attendees, however, showed little concern for the serious news of the day.

While thousands of people celebrate Comic-Con with no fear, millions of Americans are truly fearful about losing their jobs, homes or benefits during this great recession.

This convention is a place where people can be themselves, by acting like someone else.

While most Americans fret about politicians inability to hammer out a deal avoiding the impending US debt default, comic book fans are inviting Washington’s elites to take some time off to dress up themselves.

“They just need to come relax, take the weekend off and talk to some cool people in costume,” said a college student visiting from Colorado. “Barack Obama should come as Captain America. I’d like to see Barack Obama as Captain America,” she added.